Another Year Behind Me

by Anita Miles

“Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”  

Psalm 90: 12 

A little earlier this week I was reading Psalm 39 and a particular verse decided to jump off the page at me. It went like this, “Behold thou hast made my days as an handbreadth, and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.”  

This week is the week that I turn the page in my 40s on my halfway mark to 50. 46 years old… You know, it’s the age you reach where you have to turn the radio down to see while driving. Yes. I have officially arrived there…  :-)  If you’re there too, welcome to my club!! 

I remember the time that I used to think that people 46 years old were REALLY OLD! Obviously my opinion has changed about that. But I found it to be a bit intriguing that this was the Scripture that kind of accidentally became the reflection for my birthday week. Even though its appearance wasn’t intentional, it has stuck with me all week long. To the point that I wrote it down on a sticky note and have kept it in front of me since its discovery.  

Vanity… the psalmist called it all vanity… Every man at his best state is altogether vanity. This is probably a bit of a rabbit trail right here, but did you know that in 2023 Americans spent $13.3 billion (B-I-L-L-I-O-N) on cosmetic and plastic surgery to enhance their aging bodies? And with all of that money spent, Americans are statistically lonelier and less content than they’ve ever been at any point in history?   

But it’s not just about the way our aging bodies frustrate us and how we attempt to make them appear more young. And how we want to appear socially acceptable. It’s about an emptiness that we’re spending hours upon hours, and dollars upon dollars attempting to fill some space that we just can’t seem to quiet. It gnaws at us and it exhausts us as we strive on. 

We take vacations to try to run from it and end up at loud, rambunctious places that we need another vacation when we get home to recover from. And we play loud music to and from work thinking that the upbeat tempo will distract us. We pray while we’re on the run - doing noble things - sometimes even “Kingdom” things. Then we lay our head on our pillow at night and realize that we’re one day further along the journey and we really didn’t make a dent in the world. And the consumerism and the materialism of living in a capitalist society just seems to embrace us slowly without our notice - and then there we are… Stuck in the cycle of “empty” all over again. I can feel the tension rising in my chest just writing about being on that rat wheel.    

So what’s the solution to the vanity? And the emptiness?  

I think if we could come up with a word that is the opposite of emptiness, it would be fruitful…  A life with purpose and meaning.  

I’m making no attempt to be political right here, but I think it’s pretty telling to see the way that social media and the news media has exploded over the past 24 hours over the young life of Charlie Kirk who was full of purpose. Over and over again, I have heard the words that he lived a meaningful life in his short 31 years. And his days were but a handbreadth - but look at the influence that will follow his legacy for generations to come. I think the thing that made his life so powerful was that he was so young, yet lived with so much intention. In the process of his intentionality, he touched more lives that anyone even realized.      

Recognizing the short span of our life isn’t meant to depress us, but to awaken us. It’s a call for us to prioritize what matters most.  

Over the past couple of years, I have thought about these ideas. I have contemplated, journaled, and tried to be intentional in working on them in my own life. So I thought I would share. My goal is to draw our attention in bringing purpose and meaning into our lives: 

Prioritize Relationships:  Life is short. Invest in the people around you. Show love, offer forgiveness, and build meaningful connections that reflect God’s heart. 

Pursue Eternal Purpose: Seek God’s will for your life. Sit with God and allow Him to soothe your soul and speak to you. You don’t have to do all the talking… Spend time in prayer, Scripture and service - knowing these are the things with eternal weight.  

Let Go of the Temporary: Release the things that don’t matter - grudges, materialism, and pride - and focus on what aligns with God’s Kingdom. 

Psalm 39:5 is a sobering reminder that our lives are brief, but it's also an invitation to live with intention. 

Prioritize your time with Jesus today and talk with him. Sit with Him in a sacred way that soothes your spirit and in the stillness allow Him to speak to you. Take the time to actively listen for Him.  

Then, think of someone you could call today and have a meaningful conversation with. Then actually do it. Step off the rat wheel and make a meaningful connection. It’ll make them smile if nothing else. Then you can email me and tell me how it made their day and yours.  And that’ll make MY day! Start today with just one intentional act. It will be so rewarding that you’ll want to do it again tomorrow.